Teeeeeeeriffficccc

I'll need to have you go ahead and move your office to the basement. ...

And that stapler. ...

Happy Halloween!

Ellsworth Bikes Forced to Evacuate Ramona Headquarters

Ellsworth Bikes were forced to evacuate last week as the California fires swept into their area. The company has taken up a temporary administrative office in Oceanside and are continuing to operate normally as much as possible. The fire destroyed all phone and electrical infrastructure near their offices, and burned an organic avocado grove on their administrative property in Ramona. From Oceanside, the company is able to answer e-mails and continue filling orders out of their Vancouver, Wash. facility. Two articles have been posted on Bicycle Retailer's website that have updated Ellsworth's status, both during and following the evacuation. See the first article Here and the second Here.

Conervation Alliance Breakfast - Save the Date!

Conservation Alliance Breakfast
Thursday, January 24, 2008
7:30-9:00 AM
The Marriott, Salt Lake City

Featured Speaker: Dr. John Francis, The Planetwalker

About Dr. John Francis:
John Francis, Ph.D., is known the world over as the Planetwalker. In 1971, John witnessed an oil spill in San Francisco Bay. The effects of the spill compelled John to stop using motorized vehicles. Several months later, he took a vow of silence. His non-motorized lifestyle lasted 22 years, and the silence 17. During that time John walked across the United States earning a B.A at Southern Oregon State College, an M.S. in Environmental Studies at the University of Montana and a Ph.D. in land resources at the University of Wisconsin. He later sailed and walked through the Caribbean and then walked the length of South America. John will speak on his journey, his unique perspective on environment, and how we each can make a difference in our world. Dr. Francis is the author of Planetwalker: How to Change Your World One Step at A Time.

The Conservation Alliance is thrilled that Dr. Francis will share his story at our Breakfast in January.

To read an interview with Dr. Francis, go to http://www.grist.org/news/maindish/2005/05/10/hertsgaard-francis/


The Conservation Alliance Breakfast: Arrive Tired, Leave Inspired

Conservation Alliance Members Voice Support For Colorado Wilderness

A group of four Conservation Alliance members traveled to Washington DC to talk to members of Congress about the importance of securing new Wilderness designations in Rocky Mountain National Park and elsewhere in Colorado.

Representatives from Chaco, GoLite, Outdoor Industry Association, and The Conservation Alliance spent two days in meetings with 14 Congressional offices to show support for legislation that would protect 250,000 acres of federal land within the iconic park as Wilderness. The group also voiced support for efforts to protect 20,000 acres along the Arkansas River in central Colorado, and 150,000 acres in the Dominguez Canyon region of western Colorado.

The Conservation Alliance organized the trip in conjunction with the Colorado Environmental Coalition (CEC) (www.ourcolorado.org) a recent Conservation Alliance grant recipient.

“When possible, we like to supplement our financial support with on-the-ground advocacy,” said John Sterling, Conservation Alliance Executive Director. “Our member companies recognize the value of protecting wild places for non-motorized use.”

Conservationists in Colorado have been working for more than 30 years to protect Rocky Mountain National Park as Wilderness. More recent campaigns have grown around protecting Brown’s and Dominguez Canyons.

“Rocky Mountain National Park is an iconic wildland that deserves the highest level of federal protection,” said Sterling.

The Conservation Alliance has 25 member companies based in Colorado, most of which have endorsed protection for these three areas. “Colorado is a mecca for the outdoor industry, and our members there want to leave a lasting legacy in the state,” Sterling said.

Trip participants included Brian Scranton (Chaco), Colin True (GoLite), Amy Roberts (Outdoor Industry Association), and Sterling.

Another dimension to our NYC media tour

Last week, Verde took on Manhattan. In addition to successful meetings with nearly 20 magazines, I had an experience that would have made my bourbon-distilling family very proud -- I went to a speakeasy.

Hidden in a hot dog restaurant in the East Village, this bar called PDT (for "Please Don't Tell") is accessed through a phone booth. With the heads of big game trophies adorning the walls, I forgot for a second that I was in New York City and not southwest Colorado. The drink menu, however, was to die for with fresh squeezed juices and interesting spirits. And evidently, if you come hungry, the hot dogs are pretty good too.

Eastern Mountain Sports Sale to Benefit the Conservation Alliance

Eastern Mountain Sports will contribute one percent of sales from its Upgrade Your Gear Sale to The Conservation Alliance and The Access Fund. The promotion runs from October 18-21 in all Eastern Mountain Sports stores.

“We are honored to partner with Eastern Mountain Sports in the Upgrade Your Gear event,” said John Sterling, Conservation Alliance Executive Director. “We applaud the company for using the sale to raise funding for conservation.”

With the October event, Eastern Mountain Sports is repeating a promotion launched in April. The April sale generated more than $16,000 for The Conservation Alliance.

Check out the full Press Release.

Nikwax and the World Land Trust Expand the Definition of Carbon Neutrality

Nikwax proudly announces a plan for carbon neutrality that addresses not only the present, but also the past and the future. By establishing this model for corporate responsibility efforts, Nikwax is taking their environmental commitment to the next level.

“We are working hard to bring global, environmental and climate change issues to the forefront, and to affect more positive change,” says Nick Brown, founder and Managing Director of Nikwax.

“We strive to encourage our retailers, and others in our industry, to follow our commitment and dedication to protecting our planet.” Nikwax endeavours to minimize its carbon footprint by improving working practices. To mitigate the emissions that are inevitable in the manufacturing process, the company has established a three-tiered partnership with the World Land Trust.

Read the full press release here.

Jetboil Cleans Up on GearJunkie.com Giveaway

According to GearJunkie editor Stephen Regenold, Jetboil's PCS has been quite the magnet to contest participants on this year's GearJunkie Giveaway.

"Over 5,500 gearheads and outdoors aficionados have signed up for the Gear Junkie Gear Giveaway to try and win the Jetboil PCS Camp Stove," Regenold told Verde. Boy, that's a lot of gearheads.

The lucky winner was announced today, Oct. 15. Congratulations to Dillon Martini of Minneapolis, MN.

Yes, his last name is basically what provoked the 231-member panel of judges on the GearReview contest task force to choose Mr. Martini.

By the way, this image is NOT of Mr. Martini. It is Mr. Jordan Campbell, who now heads up marketing for Marmot.

Photo Credit: Kevin Thaw

Krakauer Sports His Sportiva's for New Movie

The October Issue of NGA ran an article detailing the making of the movie-version of Jon Krakauer's book, Into the Wild. His on-set sneaks-of-choice were a pair of beat-up La Sportiva Exum Ridges clearly visible in the first photograph of him and director Sean Penn. Flip through the following pages and there is a photo of the pair scaling the Yanert Glacier in Alaska apparently during some filming. The jury is still out, but it looks like Penn is wearing some Trango S Evo GTX's and possibly the Trango Alp GTX on Krakauer. While I am still convinced they are La Sportiva's, a definitive answer may require a well-developed, trained eye that can recognize the subtleties and nuances of all the La Sportiva styles.
*I am not sure if posting the images constitutes actual copyright infringement, but I think the scan job is bad enough so that no-one would care.

Move Over Che, There's a New Revolution in Town

Industrial Revolution, manufacturer of all things cool in the world of camping and outdoor gadgets, joins Verde PR. They make practical items and whimsical items that incorporate strong emphasis on design and innovation. They are a perfect fit to Verde’s family of activity-based clients.

Industrial Revolution is right on board with our sustainability-based mission. Every product in the Industrial Revolution quiver is designed to be durable, re-usable and ecologically sensitive. This month also marks the beginning of a formal partnership for Industrial Revolution with Leave No Trace. Check out the line at www.industrialrev.com.

Thanks to Osprey, 8 is the new 16

Used to be that kids dreamed of turning 16 - that great age when you got a license and maybe an old beater car to call your own. But now there is a new rite of passage that will have kids longing to turn 8 - their first Osprey backpack. For spring '08 Osprey is introducing a new youth line called the Sprint Series. The three packs, Ace, Jib and Imp, continue Osprey's proud legacy of deluxe custom fit packs with all the great features Osprey is known for. With about five inches of movement in the harness, these packs will provide years of use - even if your kids grow faster than weeds. Which they will. And a screened outlining of the Leave No Trace principles in every pack will ensure they don't grow up to be the kind of backpackers you wish would just stay home.

A Marathon Mom's Pre-Race Prep

Marathons are, relatively speaking, an insanely serious endeavor. Preparing to competitively run 26.2 miles requires an absurd amount of training and meticulous nutrition to ensure that your body doesn't mutiny against you at any point.

On her Runner'sWorld.com blog, Dimity has revealed that, for a marathon mom, prepping for a race isn't just about mental preparedness and centering your chi; It's about color coordination. Her latest blog post lists four available outfit options for the race, complete with pros and cons for each relating to fit, function, and style. She is encouraging blog users to cast a vote via commenting below for the one they think is best. So far, the polls seem to suggest that fashion ranks highest when deciding how to vote. Gu pockets, practicality and functionality are also priorities in the minds of voters but, let's face it, being ready for a race is all about looking fabulous when you cruise up to the start line. Cast your vote on Dimity's blog.

GoPro video contest on Cardomain.com

Cardomain.com has announced a video contest through the month of October. Each day this month, Cardomain.com will select one video each day as its daily favorite. In addition to featuring the winning video on the blog, Cardomain.com also will send the winner a Digital HERO 3.

All of this helps generate buzz for the launch of GoPro's new Motorsports HERO, which will debut at the SEMA Show in Vegas at the end of the month.

Verde's Newby

Verde PR welcomes our newest Account Manager Brook Sutton!

After fifteen years of following the snow, Brook happily joins the Verde team in Durango as of October 2007.

Raised in the booming metropolis of Big Bear Lake, California, her love of the mountains and the ocean (two scant hours away) defined her future.

Enrollment in universities was decided by a complex formula including the following factors: distance to nearest ski area divided by access to the greatest number of public beaches, quantity and lengths of single track, number of caffeine distribution sites, and – of course – academic excellence. She used her math skills to find Verde as well, but that is a secret formula, now proprietary to Verde.

Brook brings fifteen years experience in the ski industry from a career of teaching skiing in California, Colorado and Europe. When not on snow, she spends her free time rafting the great desert rivers of the West, setting blisteringly slow times on her road bike, running (more precisely – jogging), and surfing (more precisely – shakily popping up on a ten foot soft board in two foot of foam outwash while envisioning herself killin’ it on T’eahupoo).

"Representing Verde and its family of remarkable clients presents a unique opportunity," Brook noted. "I look forward to supporting clients and products I believe in, work with industries I love, and liaise with the vast spectrum of media and communicators I deeply admire."

Sorry this post did not go up as scheduled yesterday, but I was busy looking up "liaise."

KCO

GoPro announces customer service hire

Justin Wilkenfeld joins GoPro as Director of Customer Satisfaction and Online Outreach.

Justin will help further establish GoPro not only as a leader in digital camera technology for sports and outdoors, but also as a leader in consumer satisfaction and communication.

GoPro takes great effort to stay in touch with consumers directly to ensure great service while also keeping its finger on the pulse of what consumers want.

“Our growth over the past year—expanding into more markets with a broader line—has created more opportunities than ever before for us to engage the consumer in dialogue," said GoPro Founder and CEO Nicholas Woodman. "We’ve grown to the point where creating a department dedicated to increasing our dialogue with consumers is essential. Justin’s background in high-level customer service program management makes him a perfect fit, and we’re fired up to have him expand this new division of GoPro.”


Justin comes to GoPro from the demanding financial world of TD Ameritrade Institutional. Justin worked for over seven years at TD Ameritrade Institutional, most recently managing an elite relationship effort that handled TD Ameritrades high profile advisors and top key accounts.

A world-traveled surfer and life long outdoor sports enthusiast, Justin brings to GoPro not only his experience with high level customer service management, but also his passion for the outdoors. This picture of Justin was taken recently on a trip to Indonesia. And if you look very closely, you can see that he's wearing his Digital HERO 3!